Ahmet Lüleci (Artistic Director)
A native of Turkey, Lüleci is an accomplished choreographer, dance teacher and performer as well as a researcher of Anatolian culture. His choreography awards include the Dance Renewal Project in 2005, Crash Art's Dance Straight Up! in 2003, and Boston Dance Umbrella's Boston Moves 2001. In 2004, he became a finalist for the Massachusetts Cultural Council Choreography Award and his choreography for Budlet of Hong Kong received a gold medal from the Hong Kong Open Dance Competition. He received the 2002 Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts and Humanities by the Assembly of Turkish American Associations. In 1985, he was awarded First Place for his research in traditional dance forms in a national competition organized by the Turkish Ministry of Sports and Education. Since arriving in North America in 1985, Lüleci has taught many workshops and in dance camps throughout the United States as well as Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Holland, England, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Norway, and Australia. Some of the notable performing ensembles with whom he has worked include Aman in Los Angeles, BYU dancers in Provo, Budlet in Hong Kong, Les Sortileges in Montreal, and Vinok in Edmonton. In Turkey, he choreographed for Hoytur, Turhoy, Gehem, Anadolu University, Butfod, Folktur, and Çagdas.